Calabar High School

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The crest of Calabar High School

The Schools motto:The Utmost for the Highest

Calabar High School is an all-male, secondary learning institution in Kingston, Jamaica. It was established by the Jamaica Baptist Union in 1912. It was originally created as a Theological College for the children of the poor freed slaves and was originally situated on Slipe Pen Road in Kingston. Today this religious heritage is reflected in the number of clergy alumni including the Reverends Horace Russell, Al Miller, David Keane, and Devon Dick; leading figures in religious circles in Jamaica.

The grade level range is 1st to 6th form.

This institution is regarded as one of the top high schools in Jamaica.^{[citation needed]} The official school colours are Green and Black.

The school's current campus is located at 61 Red Hills Road. Since its inception, the school has produced some of the island's most prominent individuals, including former Prime Minister Percival James Patterson, Olympic Gold Medallists and former world record holders Dr. Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley a part of the Helsinki Quartet along with George Rhoden (making three of the four gold medal winning relay team members Calabar alumni), former Vice-Chancellor and founding father of the University of the West Indies Sir Phillip Sherlock, his brother Reverend Hugh Sherlock, credited with writing Jamaica's National Anthem Jamaica, Land We Love, and Paul Geddes co-founder of the world famous Red Stripe Beer brand.


picture of a roaring lion

The School's motto is "The Utmost for the Highest", and their symbol is a roaring Lion, a throw back to the school's African roots being named after a city in Nigeria of the same name.


Members of the 2004 winning School's Challenge Quiz Team poses with the Great Herb McKenley

The school has continued to maintain a consistent standard of excellence in academics with students being awarded the Rhodes Scholarship at least five times in the school's history, and in athletics dominating in all major sporting areas including Track & Field, Football, Basketball and Badminton. Calabar is also credited with being the only school to have won the popular School's Challenge Quiz three consecutive times.


Calabar students celebrating after yet another Quiz triumph.

In the Arts the school has produced some of Jamaica's finest crop of artistes in drama, the fine arts, and music producing such artistes as John Holt, Ken Boothe, Adidjah "Vybz Kartel" Palmer, Damion "Baby Cham" Beckett, Lloyd Parkes and classical pianist Orett Rhoden, as well as, celebrated artist Carl Abrahams and famous writer Roger Mais.


The school's victorious 2005 Manning Cup and Olivier Shield team poses with inspirational coach, David Hunt.

Today Calabar Alumni continue to excel in a plethora of other sectors as well, with the colossal figures of Peter Moses (former head of the Old Boys Association) Head of CitiBank Jamaica, Dr. Vin Lawrence former Head of the Urban Development Corporation, Mike Fennell President of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Jamaica Olympics Association, and the Hon. Derrick Smith Minister of Mining and Technology, as well as, popular figures such as Michael Sharpe News Editor at Television Jamaica, Sportscaster Patrick Anderson, talkshow hosts Wilmot "Mutty" Perkins and Dervan Malcolm, as well as, Chris and Tal Stokes members of the Jamaican Bobsled Team that inspired the movie Cool Runnings, just to name a few figuring prominently on the Jamaican landscape. They proudly answer the call of "Here Sir! Here Sir!!" that resonates through the school song, and in helping the school to mould Jamaica's future leaders.


2007 Boys Athletic Championships Winners pose with their coach, oldboy Michael Clarke.

In 2008, the school won its second consecutive ISSA All island Athletic championship (it's 21st overall). This event capped out what seems to have been a roller coaster period with the loss of stalwarts , Herb McKenley (famous athletics coach and Olympian ) ; Professor Leslie Robinson (former Vice Chancellor of U.W.I. the regional university, stellar athlete and scholar of the nineteen forties), David Hunt ( Football Coach) and Acting Principal and long time servant , Jennifer Gordon. No doubt these stalwarts have made way for the new crop of lions to come forth to give their utmost for the highest.